OH: Only Human
by Resplendnce
Summary: She paid with cash and left before dawn. Chances are, she doesn't want to be found. / A Fairron fanfiction.
1. Lost

_I wrote this as an AU request a few months back and at first, I had no intentions of publishing it here. My friends convinced me to do just the opposite and here it is.  
I run a small blog on tumblr by the name of Fairron, dedicated entirely to Lightning and Zack Fair and we're always cranking out new AUs like this one. Anyways, I hope you enjoy._

* * *

Lightning plays her songs at the Gas Light on Wednesdays; the Hideaway on Thursdays; the Broken Bulb on Fridays. If you're lucky enough to catch her show on Saturdays, in Zionga Strip (which is, as everyone knows, the only red light dsitrict for miles), then you're one of the few who've wandered down the South end of town a little after curfew.

They say it's worth it, to see her bare skin glowing in the low light. They say its worth it, no matter how much trouble you're risking with the Authority, to hear her play just one song.

"And she'll never play the same song twice." - that's what you'll hear someone say, some adoring fan who's been to one too many shows. That's what they all say.

And tonight just happens to be Saturday but for some reason Lightning doesn't feel like going to the crosswalk at Sixteenth and Mara. She has her guitar, of course, but the idea of all those soft pink lights and coffee drinking perverts makes her want to throw it away. So she takes an unexpected left turn and keeps walking.

She gathers her black pee coat around herself and stops at the corner as cars roar their engines and speed on through. It's almost Christmas and the air bites with a mercilessly cold grip. The fake Santas ring their charity bells and the shops are the most lively buildings in town. It's funny because Lightning used to like Christmas back when it meant something.

She won't be going home tonight either, she knows that much. It's poker night at that fancy penthouse she's been staying in all on account of her sister, Serah. Lightning's open mic music extravaganzas and part time job at the corner liquor store kept them fed after their parents died. Too bad it didn't take long for the city life to take her sister from her and hand her directly to some rich pimp she found at a nightclub last New Year. Go figure. That innocent face of hers is probably the only thing keeping her out of trouble.

So instead of Zionga Strip, she found a small bar and hibachi to hide in for the night. The music was light, somewhat jazzy with an undertone of hip-hop, and as she sat at the bar stool farthest from the door, she found herself tapping her nail on the counter to the beat.

"What can I get ya?" Said the man behind the bar. He was a bit older than her father had been with silver streaks in his blonde hair and a white t-shirt hugging his muscular figure. Lightning ran a gloved hand through her hair so she could look him in the eye.

"Rum and cola..with cherries"

"Gotcha."

There weren't a lot of people willing to risk staying out after curfew but here no one seemed too worried about any unwanted Authority rats that might be lurking; The two women across the room seemed cozy enough in each other's company; the young man and his three friends seemed content playing pool in hushed voices and sighs. The bartender lit up a cigarette as he sat her drink down gently in front of her and leaned on the counter as he spoke.

"I know your face, girlie." He said with a smile, blowing the smoke behind him out of courtesy. "Why is that?"

"I couldn't say for sure. I guess it would just depend."

"Oh? On what?"

"Where you like to hang out I guess." He looked contemplative for a moment before nodding his head.

"Gotcha."

And when the door opened and the little bell overhead jingled cheerfully, the bartender left her alone with her rum and cola to throw his arm over the newcomer's shoulder. Lightning plucked a cherry between her teeth and sucked it dry before chewing it up and spitting out the stem. When he came back behind the bar he started making something for the man who sat down right beside her, save for the empty stool in between them.

"It's funny you should sit there." he said with a smile.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yup."

"And why's that?"

"Cause that's my usual spot." His eyes were so blue they nearly glowed in the low lighting but she shrugged her shoulders and took a sip of her drink without caring. He laughed.

The young man ordered something off the hibachi and drank a bourbon blend on the rocks. They sat without talking for a long time and in fact he'd taken to conversing with Cid, the bartender, as if they'd known each other for years. Lightning picked at her cherries some more, trying not to care about him in the least bit: trying not to notice the things she began noticing.

His hair was the darkest black she'd ever seen which may have been the reason his eyes seemed to glow unnaturally in this low light. His lashes were a flattering feature as was the slight stubble on his chin and the way his canines seemed sharper than normal man's. The thick build throughout his arms and chest or the way he held himself, not slouching, with a gentle smile that seemed warmer than any flame. The more she looked at him, the prettier he was, and she started imagining what he looked like without that leather bomber jacket, or those dark wash jeans.

"Hey, Cid?" She said as she made up her mind. "Can I get another one of these? Make it a double."

Cid nodded, taking her glass filled with cherry stems and ice and turning it into another rum and coke. She thanked him and drank it in seconds before turning to the handsome young man with a coy smile.

"I think I'd like it if you'd take me home."

His bike is a mint condition, 1989, Hardy-Daytona. The seat has a long enough diameter to accommodate the both of them flawlessly and, once she takes her place behind him, they instantly look like something out of a photo shoot. There's a tiny bell ringing in the distance and a cold wind rising up through the fabric of her clothing as Lightning presses herself into this thick framed, bomber jacket wearing bad ass- never questioning her resolve.

And the ride isn't nearly long enough before they're standing in the lobby of an expensive apartment complex and waving a cheery goodnight to the young man behind the host's counter. The floor is a polished sort of stone, with pillars scattered about in an aesthetic attempt to hold up that immaculate ceiling; Even the buttons on the elevator are clean enough to eat off of. When the doors slide open, he lets her go first before pressing the 22nd floor and leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and a small smile playing on his lips.

They've both taken to leaning on the opposite sides of the compartment and Lightning has contented herself with her hands in her coat pockets. She can't help but stare him down across the small space they've created for each other. Every second she watches him, the handsomer he gets.

"You know, I don't even know your name?" he says with a coy slip of the tongue. His voice sets her heart on edge and puts a fire in her thighs like she's never felt before. Thinking back on it, she knows she never told him her name, or asked for his for that matter. For some reason this doesn't bother her at all.

"It's Lightning."

"Lightning?" he says with an amused laugh. "You don't expect me to believe that, do you?"

"Yeah. I do."

"Alright.."

"And yours?"

"I'm Zack."

"Zack..."

And the elevator chimes as they come to a halt in midair.

* * *

_I originally had a large amount of smut after that last line but realized that not everyone enjoys reading that, so I deleted it. I'd like to have a wider audience to present to and this way I can change the rating from M to T. Feedback would be much appreciated. ^_^_


	2. Twitterpated

_I didn't have plans to continue this one but after several requests via the fairron tumblr, I came up with something. I hope you guys enjoy and if you'd like, tell me what you think? I'd really appreciate the feedback._

* * *

The sun was relentless, taking advantage of that tiny crack in the blackout curtains and cutting like a sword of flame through the dark. The rays fell across Zack's sleeping face and he squeezed his eyes tight against them, cursing. The morning always came so fast.

"Dammit.." He grumbled to himself, rolling away from the light and into the darkest corner of his bed. With a sudden wakefulness he opened his eyes, just a peak, and dared to look at his watch.

**6:14am**

_How could it be six already?_

As he remained hidden under his comforters, letting those fifteen minutes pass by, in a daze, he remembered a face he must have seen in a dream; A beautiful face, with an enticing voice that hissed out his name in a low, primitive moan. Her scent, the warmth of her skin, the taste of her lips and the light touch of cigarettes on her breath. The more he remembered, the less human, and the more haunting, she became.

"Lightning…" He said out loud to himself, almost in a whisper.

He opened his eyes, for real this time, and knew he was very much alone in his king sized bed. The alarm went off, an obnoxious buzzing that went on and on until he finally raised a naked arm from beneath his blankets and turned it off. Shortly after, he was standing beneath the hot shower, with the hazy fog hanging overhead and the image of that woman filling his thoughts like a plague.

"Lightning.." He said again, playing with the syllables. "Light..ning."

Zack was Chief of the Authority for Section Nineteen and as far as sections went, Nineteen was by far the most docile. By seven he was unlocking the door to his office and pulling a stale box of Frosted Wheats from his desk, grabbing handfuls of it and munching on them dry. The rest of his boys were filing in one by one, just as groggy as he was, and the mid-shifters started grabbing their things and headed for home. There were no calls, at least not at first, just paperwork from the night before and a pot of black coffee to wash down the hangover a good third was feeling right about now. Zack straightened his collar, pinned his badge to the inside of his coat and leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed.

"Lightning." He sighed. That word was going to linger in his mind all day..

There was a knock on the open door and one of his men, Rygdea, let himself in.

"Hey, Chief!" He said with a sly smile. "Soo.. how's it goin'?" Zack grabbed another handful of stale cereal and shrugged with a grin.

"Zack Fair is a bit hungover today.. but your Chief is doing just fine." Rygdea laughed and leaned against a filing cabinet with his coffee in hand.

"Well, alright, if that's how you want to play it. Your personal life is yours, after all." He took a sip from his cup. Zack eyed him for a moment then shook his head.

"How's that paperwork on the DV case coming?"

"Got it in the scanner right now." He pointed his thumb behind him. "Should be about fifteen minutes."

"Alright, great. Tell Raines he still needs to file the report on that aggravated assault he picked up last night." Rygdea was waving behind him as he walked out the door.

"Will do, Chief."

Zack threw his box of cereal back in his desk and pulled out his phone.

"Three missed calls?" He said, surprised. One was from his mother, another from his best friend Kunsel, but the third..

_Why's Cid calling me this early?_

There were three new voice mails to coincide with the missing calls and Zack, curious as he was, leaned back in his chair to listen to them.

"Hey, love, it's me." His mother started. "Just wanted to call and make sure you're still coming down for Christmas. Oh and your father says he wants to have a drink with his boy before he's too old to take you on and I swear, that man.." There's a loud crash in the background and lots of shuffling noises. "And there they go again." She sighed. "When you come down, we may need to talk about Taki. She's really getting out of hand without you here and Yuki doesn't like her at all. Anyways I'll talk with you later. Love you."

"Taki.." he said with a smile. He knew he should have never left her there with that demon cat, but what choice did he have? The place he'd been living in wouldn't allow big dogs. But then again.. who's going to throw her out now?

The phone clicks and shifts over to the next voice mail.

"Zack! What the hell man? You don't call your best pal and invite him to join in? That's cool, that's cool, I see how it is." He laughs, as if shaking his head. "Ahh, you know I'm just playing with ya. I heard from Cid sometime after you left and my jaw almost hit the fuckin' floor. Surely he didn't mean MY Zack. Some other Zack, right? Call me back man."

"Wait.. what?" He said looking at his phone as if Kunsel could hear him. The phone shifted voice mails a second time.

"Cid here. Just callin' to tell ya your tab was picked up. Tell your lady friend she's a real peach, droppin' a tip like that. Welcome here any time, s'far as I'm concerned. Anyways, I'll see ya."

Zack dropped his phone and stared out at nothing in particular, smiling and laughing, nervous and terrified. But somewhere in that mix of sudden emotion there was an excitement and a drive..

_Lightning!_

The door almost hit Raines full in the face as he ran to the parking garage.

* * *

Cid's bar and hibachi was just south of Valentine's Funeral Home, straight through the park and across the street. Zack tugged his collar up, against the wind, and rang the buzzer to the apartment above. He checked his watch, leaned against the brick, hit the buzzer a second time and checked his watch again. It was 8:17 and, unfortunately, Zack knew that Cid Highwind slept in till one on Sundays. Any bartender who ran the counter clear into dawn would do the same thing. The bastard was lucky enough that he was allowed to opperate without the restraints of a curfew thanks to his close friendship with Section Nineteen's Chief of Authority.

Zack checked his watch a third time and leaned his whole body on the buzzer.

"God_ dammit_, what the hell do you want?!" The speaker screamed in Cid's raspy, morning drawl. Zack jumped back a second and thought about his words before he held down the button to talk.

"Cid, it's Zack. Let me in."

A few minutes later and Cid was standing in his boxers and holding open the bar's steel-heavy black door. Zack hurried inside, ignoring Cid's scowling face and trying not to get burned on his cigarette as he passed by.

"Seriously?" He said as the door slammed and locked behind them. "I oughta kick yer pretty lil' ass for gettin' me up this early!"

Zack sat down at the bar and threw his phone on the counter.

"I need to talk to you about the woman I took home with me last night." At first Cid opened his mouth to throw some more profanities his way, but he shook his head as if to say it wasn't worth it and sat down next to him, defeated.

"Alrigh'" he said, taking a drag. "What'dya wanna know?"

"When.. I mean.. wha.." Zack stammered, completely unsure of what he was even after at this point. He had a million questions but no way of asking for them all individually.

All but one.

"Who.. is she?"

Cid looked at him with his eyebrows half-cocked and laughed. He laughed so hard he almost fell off his stool. Zack ran his hands through his hair and glared at him, waiting for him to wipe the tears from his eyes before continuing. But Cid spoke first.

"Ahh, Chief." He said with a shake of his head. "Ya know, we all know yer not prone to one night stands. If yer worried someone is gonna think badly of ya, don't."

"I'm not… I'm not worried about that." Zack said with a wince. He hadn't even thought of that, but thinking on it now made him nervous. What would people think of him? What if his mother found out? His father? Or Angeal..

"Listen, kid.." Cid said, patting his shoulder. "Ya don't wanna go lookin' fer this'n, alright? I don' care how twitterpated she got ya. "

"I'm not..! Wait..what? Twitterpated?" Cid chuckled, frustrating Zack to no end. "I just need to know who she is.."

"No, yer not _listenin'_ to me."

"_Tell me_, Cid." Zack said firmly, throwing open his jacket to flash him his badge. Cid sat back for a moment, waved his hand and sighed.

"Put that shit away, Fair. I've known you since you were in diapers."

"This is important."

"I know, I know.." He sighed again and lit up another cigarette before he began.

"Her name is Claire Farron, pretty lil thing as I'm sure ya know. Wilder than a fox and jus' as dangerous too, if ya ask me. I didn' know who she was when she walked in, never saw her face before, but her _name_.. Yeah, yeah I've heard her name before..

Her folks died couple years back and she an' her sister were livin' off the streets for the most part. Not whorin' out or anythin, least not Claire, just livin'. She worked full time at some liquor store near Castor Hills, played her guitar all 'long Trandenza Parkway, and 'ventually got picked up by a few places askin' her to play for 'em. Thought she was gonna have a future in music, s'pose. I dunno.

Thing is, the reason I know all this stuff's cause she was on the news 'bout a year ago, maybe? They said she got into a bit of a scuffle with some pimp named Snow Villiers. Bruised him up pretty bad and her too. Said afterwards she set fire to his pretty lil' sports car. 'Parently burned his arm up tryin' ta put it out. Not too long after that, she vanished. _Abrah Cadabrah_. No one had a clue where she'd ran off to. She ditched out on gigs. Stopped goin' ta work. Skipped parol meetin's. Never called her sister. The whole shabang. Just got lost, I guess. Next thing ya know there's this new girl on the streets callin' herself Lightnin' and pickin' up where Claire Farron left off. Like a ghost hauntin' it's old house.. "

Zack couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Listen, Fair, I love ya like a nephew. Hell a son, even. _Don't_ go gettin' yourself into trouble ya can't get out of." He stood from his stool, leaving Zack where he was. "She paid the tab with cash. She was gone 'fore dawn. Chances are, she doesn' _want_to be found."

"_No._" Zack said, his eyes dark and unseeing. "No, I don't believe that."

"Don't go gettin' all sentimental just cause she polished yer Johnson. It may have meant more to you than it'll ever mean ta her."

"I don't believe that!" He shouted, standing up. "Why would she go seeking out company if she wasn't hurting? If she wasn't lonely? Why would anyone-"

"Some folks… some folks just live like that. They shut down, live for the basic needs." He shook his head. "Yer a good man, Fair, hell I don' think I know _anyone_ with a better heart than you, but you can't_ fix_ people."

"I don't want to fix her. I just want to find her."

"She was that good, eh?" He chuckled. Zack looked away, almost embarassed, but shook his head.

"I didn't even think she was real." He ran his hand through his hair. "I thought.. I thought I had dreamed her up. Everything about her was just.."

"Twitterpated." Cid said with a huff and a shake of his head and turned away from him, heading back to his apartment. Zack felt weak; lost. A feeling he hadn't felt for a very, very long time.

"Yeah.." Zack said under his breath as the door closed behind his old friend. "Twitterpated.."

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_Please review! _


	3. Wallace

_7:37am. Approximately 17 hours before the first encounter._

_~/~_

"Back again, eh?" the pawnbroker grumbled with a grin that stood out against his black skin. The door chimed cheerfully as she let it slam behind her and let her eyes adjust to the low light.

Lightning always hated Barett's smile; something about it just pissed her off. Maybe it was because he was such a cocky asshole, and a cheap one at that, always ready to strike a deal and do his damnedest to swindle you out of some money. It was because of that shed never even asked how he lost his left hand. Either way, she'd been his best customer for two years but mostly because he'd buy anything, no questions asked, and that came in handy when the goods she peddled through were generally stolen. It was easy enough to lift a designer jacket here and there from the coat closets and dressing rooms at a back alley bar or cafe. Sometimes she'd get lucky and find some nice jewelry or handbag just open for the taking and less often it was a cell phone, a gaming device, a DVD player, etc.

This time, however, it was much different than that.

These jewels belonged to her late mother; she'd clung to them for dear life until she was down to her last cent and hadn't eaten anything for eleven days save for the pack of stale crackers she'd found under the seat of her car the other night.

"What'll you give me for these?" She said, pulling out a small velvet pouch from her messenger's bag. The broker spilled its' contents out onto his counter with his one hand and eyed the jewels hungrily, glancing up at her before checking their authenticity.

"God _damn_." he said when he'd priced the last piece. "Where the hell'd you find these babies?"

"Is that information really relevant " she said, motioning around them. "Are you buying or not?"

Barret burst out into a husky laughter, the garnet earring in his left ear twinkling brightly as he moved. Lightning crossed her arms with a scowl and moved to gather her jewelry from the counter when he stopped her with a wave of his handless arm.

"Now hold yer goddamn horses, missy. I'm buyin'" He pulled out a pack of sticky notes and scribbled down a number, sliding it over to her with a nod. Light scowled, took his pen, scratched her own numbers onto the pad and slid it back to him. He cursed.

"You outta yer fuckin' _mind_? There's no wa-"

"I will not accept anything less than that." She said coldly. For a moment they stared each other down before he finally sighed, laughing.

"Yer lucky yer my best, girlie." he said, pointing at her. "Make me a damn fortune, ya do."

He gathered up the jewelry and took it to his safe, then he wrote out a check and handed it to her. She nodded curtly and spun on her heel, not willing to spend another minute there if she didn't have to.

But on her way out she passed a weapons case showcasing an array of small knives and guns and she stopped just long enough to eye them. One knife, in particular, housed a 7 inch, fixed blade set in a black grip-handle with an index groove. Light glanced down at her own knife- concealed under her coat and strapped securely around her right thigh- and couldn't help thinking how badly she needed a new one; the handle was loose, the blade didn't align right at all and was chipped and rusted in several places. Not to mention it was too large for her hands and didn't provide nearly enough support mid-thrust.

"Hey." She called to Barret, who was arranging his new goods in a nearby case. "Can I take a look at this one?" Barret grinned.

"Ohhh, you'll _love_ it, I know." He said as he unlocked the glass. "ATS-34 steel, excellent corrosion resistance and an edge retention that'll make you damn near cream yourself."

"How much?" She said as he handed it to her.

"Three forty eight." He said with a smile. Lightning bit her lip.

"It feels a bit heavy." She lied, entering her defensive stance and making a few practice thrusts. In fact, it was perfect; the weight and feel, the overall grip and balance- even the alignment was spot on. She flipped it up in the air, making it spin a few times and caught it effortlessly before handed it back to him. He furrowed his brow a bit.

"It's a tough blade. You won't find a better steel at this price." She laughed, waving as she headed for the door.

"Thanks, but I'd like to eat more than just a carrot this week."

_And she knew she had him_.

Barret was nervous; the weapons market was in a slum ever since the appearance of the Authority three years ago. No one ever wanted them these days. Everyone felt safe. Unfortunately for him, that was a loss of money when he'd bought all the high dollar equipment that came drifting into his shop, thinking he was making a good deal.

"Three hundred." he said, making her stop.

"One." She said, with a tone that send a chill through the room, trying not to smile as she did so.

"Come on, babe. You're robbin' me blind today." She crossed her arms and shook her head.

"I probably won't even need that knife anyways, thanks to those Authority dogs protecting everyone from pimps and prostitutes to grade school teachers and bank tellers"

"Don't be a damn fool, you live on these streets, same as me."

"I _live_. I don't die."

"Two thirty nine."

"One fifteen."

Barret sighed, scratching his head with a scowl. He picked up the knife and took it towards the back of his shop, sheathing it in it's original, sleek leather cover and holding it out to her.

"Two. And you won't have to find another sheath for it."

Lightning took the knife out of his hands, removed her bulky, rusted steel, strapped the new one to her thigh and handed him the old with a smile.

"I don't have any cash. Do you take checks?"

* * *

_A little bit of a side story to keep this thing alive._

_Reviews are always appreciated._


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